Sundays at 2:30pm · July–August 2026
CONVERSATIONAL TANGO
Tango is a conversation. A live, improvised exchange between two people who have to listen as much as they speak.
To have a real conversation, you need vocabulary. Just enough to say something meaningful, and to understand what's being said back.
This summer, we're going back to the building blocks. Each Sunday, one element in its simplest, most usable form. The moves that show up in every tanda, in every embrace, at every level: ocho, molinete, barrida, sacada, boleo, gancho, volcada, colgada.
If you've never learned them, this is where you start. If you learned them once and they've gone fuzzy, this is where you get them back. If you think you know them already, this is where things get interesting.
No prerequisites. Open to all levels, except for Beginners. Each class stands on its own, and all eight together build something solid.
Class 1 - Ocho. The Infinite Shape of Things to Come.
SUNDAY | July 12 | 2:30 - 5pm | REGISTER NOW
Almost everything in tango passes through a pivot. The ocho is the clearest expression of that: a rotation of the axis that redirects movement and opens up the next step.
In this class we work through the ocho forward and backward, and we look at three variations that show up constantly in social dancing: progressive ochos, in-place ochos, and overturned ochos. Each one asks something slightly different from your body and your connection.
Understanding the differences gives you options, and options are what make tango feel like a conversation.
Class 2 - Molinete. Stop Micromanaging. Delegate. AKA, Going Around in Circles Was the Point All Along.
SUNDAY | July 19 | 2:30 - 5pm | REGISTER NOW
The molinete is a shared architecture of balance, timing, and direction that both people build together. In this class we take it apart: the three steps, the pivot, and the specific responsibilities each role carries.
For the follower, we work on reading when to move and when to wait, because the molinete is one of the places where that distinction matters most.
For the leader, we look at something that often surprises people: you do not need to lead every single step. You lead the direction, and then you lead the stop or the change. What happens in between belongs to the follower. Understanding that changes how both people experience the molinete.
Class 3 - Barrida. The Dry Stone Principle That Even the Incas Knew. No Mortar Required.
SUNDAY | July 26 | 2:30 - 5pm | REGISTER NOW
Inca walls in Cusco are built from stones fitted together so precisely that no mortar holds them. The weight, the shape, the mutual engagement of each piece is enough. A barrida works the same way.
In this class we work on what full engagement with a barrida actually means: the attention, the sensitivity, and the active participation required from both sides to make it feel like a real exchange rather than one person pushing a foot around.
We will also cover the arastre, the barrida's close relative, and look at how the same gesture can travel in both directions depending on who is leading it and how the weight is arranged.
Class 4 - Sacada. Excuse Me, That Was My Spot.
SUNDAY | August 2 | 2:30 - 5pm | REGISTER NOW
The sacada is a displacement: you step into the space the other person has just vacated, your leg taking the place of theirs. It is one of the most practical and frequently useful elements in tango, and one of the most misunderstood in terms of difficulty.
In this class we work on why the sacada matters so much structurally, how to time it so it arrives exactly when the space opens up, and how to approach it with the ease it actually deserves once the mechanics are clear.
The sacada stops feeling labored the moment you stop chasing the leg and start reading the movement.
Class 5 - Boleo. The Story of the Leg That Didn't Ask for Permission.
SUNDAY | August 9 | 2:30 - 5pm | REGISTER NOW
A boleo is what happens when the follower's free leg is in motion and the leader changes direction. The leg, already moving, follows the physics of the redirect and swings through.
In this class we work on how that moment is created, how the follower can stay with it rather than anticipate or resist it, and how the leader's clarity of lead determines what kind of boleo emerges.
We will cover directional boleos and, for those ready to go further, contra boleos, which move against the expected direction and create a very different quality.
Class 6 - Gancho. It Takes Two to Tangle.
SUNDAY | August 16 | 2:30 - 5pm | REGISTER NOW
A gancho is when one leg hooks around or between the other person's leg. It requires timing, a particular quality of relaxation, and enough trust to let the movement complete itself.
In this class we work through two straightforward entrances that make the gancho accessible from common situations in social dancing.
We will also look at direction: most people think of the gancho as something the follower executes, but the leader can hook toward the follower as well, and working both directions gives a much fuller picture of what the gancho can do.
Class 7 — Volcada. You Can Lean on Me. Literally | Understanding the Volcada in Open Embrace: Super Basic Version
SUNDAY | August 23 | 2:30 - 5pm | REGISTER NOW
The volcada asks for shared balance in open embrace. The follower leans forward into the connection; the leader creates the structure for it to happen. In this class we stay with the fundamentals and work through the mechanics of shared weight in their simplest form: how to offer the lean, how to hold the frame, and how both people find their role in sustaining the moment. Once that foundation is clear, the volcada stops being something that happens to you and starts being something you do together.
Class 8 - Colgada. Hanging Around Has Never Been More Productive.
SUNDAY | August 230 | 2:30 - 5pm | REGISTER NOW
The colgada has a reputation for being difficult, and the sensation of leaning outward together can feel disorienting before it feels natural.
In this class, we work through a basic pass-through colgada, chosen specifically because it gives both people a clear and manageable way to experience the hanging quality without getting lost in complexity.
The focus is on how to create the shared suspension, how to carve out the space both people need, and how to understand what the leader and follower are each contributing to keep the whole thing aloft.
Pricing
Drop in: $40 per class | Any four classes: $140 | All eight classes: $240 (best deal)